Tired of the recent glut in real-time strategy games? Looking for a conquest/research/resource management game that allows you to carefully plot the annihilation of other sentient species? Are you more interested in substance over style in a computer game? If you answer "yes" to any (or all) of these questions, then look no further than Cavewars. Avalon Hill's new strategy game allows you to mercilessly crush up to four other players in an unusual underground environment.
Cavewars doesn't promise much in the way of unique features. The average graphics, average sounds, and standard plot aren't what sets this game apart. It's the strategy. Since you (and your opponents) compete in a five-level world, you must maintain an awareness of what's going on in all places. Within this setting, you must mine metallic resources, develop technologies and magic, and build military units. The game's interface is well-designed, and most of the game's many options are presented in a well-organized manner. The graphics in the main screen make good use of the SVGA mode. The sound effects are minimal, but the unearthly groans in the soundtrack certainly help put the player in the right frame of mind.
Follow the instructions for the Quick Start - and prepare to die. If at first you don't succeed, try, die again. Cavewars does require some time for you to develop working tactics. An adjustable difficulty level ensures less time spent starting over. The whole three-dimensional concept adds flavor to the game. It brings to mind an enormous game of "Star Trek's" 3-D chess...only with more killing and mayhem. The combat graphics are pretty poor, but oddly, I found myself coming back for more. Avalon Hill admits that the AI will not be confused with a sentient being. I agree - I spent several hours repeating Conan the Barbarian's mantra of "Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women." One surprise was how the AI concedes defeat if its fortunes take a turn for the worse.
Cavewars is one of those games where the initial impression is not necessarily correct. It doesn't mesmerize you with flashy graphics or awesome sound support. It's not a revolutionary game...but it is fun.
Cavewars is a turn based strategy game that combines elements of several different games of it's era. The turn based strategy element mirrors that of Heroes of Might and Magic while the ability to research new units and improve armies is similar to that of Master of Orion.
The unique element that separates this game from others is that the battles can take place on a number of different levels of a cave. All may be well on level 1, with both sides having a city there; meanwhile, battles rage every turn on level 3. Randomly generated maps and 8 different races to choose from ensures the same game is never played twice.
One of the most original but underrated strategy games of all time, Cavewars is a refreshing fantasy wargame that adds the Z-axis to the traditional two-dimension game map, adding a whole new dimension (pardon the pun) to familiar turn-based play. Each of the depth-dwelling races you can lead also has unique characteristics that call for different strategy to win, With unique and compelling gameplay, tough AI, random maps, and the variety of monsters and spells you can research make Cavewars one of my most favorite fantasy strategy games.
How to run this game on modern Windows PC?
People who downloaded Cavewars have also downloaded:
Centurion: Defender of Rome, Celtic Kings: Rage of War, Celtic Tales: Balor of Evil Eye, Civil War Generals 2, Ascendancy, Civilization 2, Central Intelligence, Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance
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